Self-soaping washboard



G. H.'AND J. B. SCULLY.

SELF SOAPING WASHBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, I918- Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

WITNESS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. SCULLY AND JESSIE B. SCULLY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS TO J. F. MARX, 01 HA RTING'IGN, NEBRASKA.

SELF-SOAPING WASHBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application filed November 19, 1918. Serial No. 263,150.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE H. SoULLY and Jnssrn B. SoULLY, citizens of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Soaping lVashboards, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a self-soaping washboard, and our object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and eflicient device of this character whereby a liquid soap or other washing compound can be readily applied from time to time as required, to the rubbing surface of a washboard and to the articles being washed, without the operator stopping the washing process at intervals to make such applications by hand as heretofore.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a washboard equipped with our invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the device for applying the washing compound to the washboard.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken vertical sectional view of the device, disclosed by Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken, cross-sectional view on line IVIV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of a selfclosing valve taken on line V-V of Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the various parts, A designates a washboard of ordinary or preferred form, provided with the usual corrugated surface B, upon which articles to be washed are rubbed in the usual manner.

1 designates a narrow container adapted to fit within the recess C between the transverse members D and E at the upper portion of the washboard A. The container 1 is provided with lugs 3 to receive screws or other fastening devices 4 to secure said container in place in the recess C. The container 1 has an inlet through which it is supplied with the washing fluid, said opening being normally closed by a cap 6. A discharge nozzle 8 leads from the lower portion of the container 1 to discharge the washing fluid over the surface B of the washboard.

The inlet end of the nozzle 8 is normally 18 designates a plunger, the head 20 of which snugly fits within the cylinder 14:. The stem 22 of the plunger 18 extends through the top of the container 1 and is provided with a cross-head 24, whereby said plunger may be advanced for the purpose of discharging the compound from the container.

A coil spring 26 is interposed between a cross bar 28, on the cylinder 14, and a washer 30 on the plunger stem 22 to retract the plunger 18 to normal position after being advanced as above described.

The underside of the plunger head 20 is provided with a fixedly-mounted depending pin 32 adapted when the plunger is advanced, to contact an inclined surface 34; on the valve 10 and open the same to the dotted position disclosed by Fig. 41, against the action of the spring 12.

Notches 36 and 38 are formed in transverse members E and D of the washboard, to admit the nozzle 8 and the plunger stem 22, respectively.

In practice, the container 1 is supplied with a suitable washing fluid, so that when the washboard is in use the operator may spray such washing fluid over the rubbing surface of the washboard and the articles being washed, by light pressure of the abdomen upon the cross-head 24. This operation of discharging the washing fluid may be performed at intervals as required, without stopping the washing process as heretofore, when the operator had to stop to pick up a bar of soap and rub the same over the washboard and the clothes or other articles being washed.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that we have produced a device well adapted for the purpose intended, and while we have shown and described the preferred form of our invention, we reserve the right to make such changes in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as properly fall Within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a Washboard, a container on said washboard for holding a liquid washing compound, a self-closing outlet valve at the lower portion of said container, and means for opening said valve and discharging the compound from the container in the form of spray.

2. In combination with a washboard, a tank on said washboard for holding a washing fluid, a plunger for forcing said fluid from the tank, a self-closing outlet valve having an inclined surface, and means on the plunger for contacting the inclined surface on said outlet valve to open the same to allow the fluid to escape.

3'. In combination with a Washboard, a tank on said washboard for holding a washing fluid, a plunger for forcing said fluid from the tank, a cylinder having ports communicating with the tank and in which said plunger operates, a self-closing outlet valve having an inclined surface and arranged at the bottom of said cylinder, and means on the plunger for contacting the inclined surface on said outlet valve to open the same to allow the fluid to escape.

4. In combination with a Washboard, a tank on said washboard for holding a washing fluid, a plunger for forcing said fluid from the tank, a cross-head fixed to said plunger to actuate the same, a self-closing outlet valve having an inclined surface, and a pin on the plunger for contacting the inclined surface on said outlet-valve to open the same to allow the fluid to escape.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

F. G. FISCHER, L. J. FISCHER. 

